


Shared Dreams

by ShadowAssault



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy XIII
Genre: F/M, Fluff, don't tell my friends, this is my secret OTP, will add as we go along
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-07
Updated: 2018-02-17
Packaged: 2018-09-07 04:21:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8782759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowAssault/pseuds/ShadowAssault
Summary: They only knew each other from their dreams. Dreams that happened so long ago that neither of them were sure that they mattered anymore.They both longed to see each other again - even if it was merely in their dreams.Their logical minds told them that it was just a recurring childhood dream.Their logical minds could not comprehend the sight before them.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> just a small idea I had in my head, not sure if I want to expand it for long. but I hope someone will enjoy this all the same ^^

The dreams began as far back as he could remember.

The dreams began when her parents had left her.

 

The silver-haired boy looked up into the white ceiling he knew so well, the cold of the metal operating table cutting into his bare back. He groaned in pain and tried to move. His hands and legs were clamped to the operating table, as usual. He scanned the room for signs of the mad scientist. Hojo was not around, but the boy was greeted by an unfamiliar sight. The lab which usually housed a myriad of strange machines and devices that bought pain in more ways you could imagine was now completely empty. It was as if no one had been there at all. Even the door that led out of the lab was gone. Panicked, the boy tried to fight free of his restraints. He yelled and cried, but the metal arms gripped him just as tightly as before.

 

* * *

 

The pink-haired girl somehow found herself in a corridor lined with what looked like many identical doors. At the end of the corridor, she thought she caught a glimpse of two familiar figures walking away.

 

“Mommy? Daddy?” the girl cried out, “don’t go! Please!”

 

She ran after the two as fast as her little legs could carry her, which wasn’t very fast. She was soon out of breath, her legs burning. She had lost sight of her parents, but the girl pressed on, not knowing if she was determined or just desperate. Eventually the corridor reached an end, with just a single door in front of her. The girl pushed the door open, and was immediately greeted by loud sobs.

 

* * *

 

The boy heard a door open. Wait – there wasn’t a door just awhile ago. Was this Hojo’s doing? Did the mad scientist hide the door to further prevent him from escaping? He started to sob even louder, hoping that someone outside the lab other than Hojo would hear his pleas for help.

 

But instead of Hojo, a small girl around his age peered around the door.

 

“Hello?” The girl called out, uncertain.

 

“Please, help me…”

 

The girl carefully approached him, but quickened her pace when she got a closer look of him.

 

“Oh my god,” she gasped, “who did this to you?” She studied the various bruises and wounds on his body. Whoever who did this to the young boy was a monster. The girl instinctively felt protective of him.

 

“Hold on, I’ll try to get you out-” the girl reached out to grab the metal clamp around his left wrist. But the moment she touched it – even before she could register the cool of the metal against her fingertips, she was gone.

 

The boy awoke with a start. He frantically looked around – the girl was nowhere to be seen. The lab had returned to normal. It was just a dream.

 

* * *

 

Somewhere in another world, the girl woke up to the same realisation. That it was just a dream. Her parents were gone for good, and that was that.


	2. I

The dreams however, happened every night after that, for a long time. The girl learnt that the silver-haired boy’s name was Sephiroth. He was apparently a test subject of a deranged and inhumane scientist of a huge corporation.

 

The boy learned that the pink-haired girl was Claire. Or Lightning, as she later decided to name herself. While others saw that Claire and Lightning were just two different names for the same person, Sephiroth knew otherwise.

 

Claire and Light were different people. It was Claire who found him on the day his dreams started. It was Light who came in a few days later, wearing a hardened expression on her face, as she promised to become stronger for her sister and for him, and that she would one day manage to break the metal bonds that held him to this cursed lab. Yet it was Claire who held his hand everytime in the dreams, and comforted him when he cried.

 

He knew though, that Claire only appeared in his dreams. From their usual conversations, Sephiroth could tell that Lightning took charge outside the dreams. Lightning would never let the weakness that was Claire show. But in the dreams, she could let her guard down.

 

Sephiroth loved it when Claire was there. The dreams were like a respite from the horrible reality he had to face in his every waking hour. He loved the warmth of her touch in contrast with the cold metal of the lab equipment. He always held tightly the memory of her small hands holding his own when Hojo conducted many more experiments on him. It always made the pain more bearable.

 

But one night, things felt different.

 

“I killed my first Behemoth!” Claire chirped as she skipped into the lab towards the table Sephiroth was bound to, “I’ll set you free today, Sephy!”

 

True to her word, Lightning pried the metal cuff open. Then another. And another. Then he was free of the table that he had been part of for so long.

 

“I-I did it! I did it, Sephy!” the boy sat up for the first time in ages, and Claire leaned forward to embrace him in a tight hug. He was slightly taken aback by the sudden move by the girl, but welcomed the warmth in his chest, and the feeling of her small weight against his torso. He felt his heart flutter, and then-

 

“What do we have here?” Hojo’s annoying high pitched voice rang out.

 

Sephiroth opened his eyes, to find Claire gone, but his hands and legs free of the restraints that usually held him.

 

“Strong enough to break out already eh?” Hojo chuckled, “looks like it’s time to have a change of plans!”

 

* * *

 

 

Things passed in a flurry after that, but none of that mattered to Sephiroth.

 

The day he “broke free” was the day the dreams stopped. It was the day he stopped crying no matter how many things Hojo did to him. It was the day he decided that, just as Claire became Lightning, he would be strong and steel himself against the world.

 

Despite knowing everything was just a dream, he kept the warm feeling of her chest against his engraved in his memory. A part of him wanted to relive those dreams again, to feel her familiar touch, to draw comfort from her presence. But part of him kept reminding him that no matter what, she would never be real, and he shouldn’t be living an illusion.

 

So when he became a part of SOLDIER, he buried that memory deep in his mind.


	3. II

Lightning awoke to the sound of her alarm beeping. She turned over and slammed the alarm button to silence it. The pink-haired woman promptly got up from her bed. Within 10 minutes, she had washed up, changed into her Guardian Corps uniform, made her bed, all while downing the cold leftover sandwich she had saved for breakfast. She made her way downstairs, where the smell of pancakes wafted from the kitchen.

 

“Good morning sis!” Lightning’s sister Serah greeted her from the kitchen.

 

“Morning,” Lightning replied.

 

“Did you sleep well last night?”

 

“Mmm,” Lightning nodded. It was yet another dreamless night. She felt like her alarm sounded the moment her head hit the pillow last night. It had been awhile since she last had a dream afterall. That was years ago, when she was around fifteen. Yet she remembered those dreams clear as day. She remembered the young boy called Sephiroth, his trembling hands in hers, and the hug that was her last gift to him. She found herself wondering how he was doing, but then silently berated herself for being silly.

 

He was just a made up boy in her dreams, probably some symbolic shit her young mind made up to help her cope with the loss of her parents. But that didn’t stop her from missing him. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was fond of her imaginary friend, and she wanted so badly to see him again.

 

* * *

 

 

Sephiroth awoke to the sound of his alarm’s shrill ring. It was the standard Shinra SOLDIER alarm – programmed to sound at exactly six in the morning for all SOLDIERs. He did not get up immediately, but instead counted ten seconds, after which the alarm would stop.

 

He felt tired, as usual. Not physically, not exactly mentally either. He didn’t really know how to put it, but it made him want to go back to sleep, and stay asleep for however long it took for everything to be right again.

 

Right. The word sounded funny in his head. When was anything ever right for him to begin with? Even his left-handedness seemed to be an outright mockery of that. The closest thing Sephiroth ever felt to right was her touch, her very presence. And even then, life was cruel enough to tear it away from him, after teasing him with a couple of pleasant dreams. Yes, that was all that they were. Sweet, innocent dreams that he should feel blessed to have in the first place.

 

He found himself thinking about her again. As his body automatically performed the same actions he did every morning – showering, drying his hair, getting dressed – his mind wandered far from this world. By now Lightning would’ve grown into a strong, beautiful woman. He was sure of it, if he saw her in his dreams again, that is. But he had long given up hope on that. Seeing the women in this world, the fangirls who shamelessly threw themselves at him, just reinforced the fact that Lightning was just a figment of his imagination. Women like her did not exist in this world. She was too good to be true.

 

She was just a made up girl in his dreams, probably something his younger self subconsciously made up to help him cope with the loneliness and pain he suffered under Hojo. But that did not stop him from missing her. He hated to admit that he had such trivial emotions, but he held her dear, and wanted nothing more than to see her again.

 

* * *

 

 

The world was crashing down. Quite literally, in fact. The flames of her last firaga greedily consumed not only Orphan, but also the room that was the core of Cocoon. Everything was up in flames.

 

Everything was burning.

 

Everything was burning.

 

A maniacal laugh escaped from his lips as he watched Nibelheim being reduced to ashes.

 

* * *

 

 

Lightning awoke with a start.

 

Where was she? The last thing she remembered was fire, fire surrounding her, the heat torching her skin and singeing the ends of her hair. Maniacal laughter…?

 

She frowned and kneaded the bridge of her nose, willing the throbbing headache to go away. Her memories were a jumble now. She remembered hugging Serah before – or was it after? It had to be after. A farm-like place was burning, the grass fuelling the hungry flames even more- no. Wait. The grass was… not burning. She was on Gran Pulse, which explains the grass...no?

 

“What the fuck happened!” she yelled in frustration. Her voice was raspy and her throat dry, making her supposed outburst sound nothing more than a weak whine. Coughing, she slowly propped herself up, and tried to stand. She felt weak, which was not something she had felt in a long time. That was when she realised that she was no longer a l’cie.

 

* * *

 

 

You could say that Lightning was thrown into chaos.

 

Paradox, chaos, timelines. All these meant little to her. From the moment she set foot on Valhalla, she had been labelled a sinner. She resented it. It was unfair. Her whole life was. All she wanted was for her sister to be happy. Since their parents’ deaths, she worked relentlessly towards that goal. Training several years to join the ranks of Guardian Corps, earnestly working her way through the promotions – all that just to be rewarded with the brand of a l’cie.

 

And she fought even harder as a l’cie. She fought for her sister, she fought for what was right, or so she thought. Yet in the eyes of Etro, she was a sinner. She was selfish to take the lives of others to better her own. Lightning didn’t really see the logic of it. So was she just supposed to sit back and await her own fate?

 

The Eyes of Etro had shown her everything she “needed to know”. Serah trapped in an endless dream? She almost laughed at the absurdity of it all. But Etro was a goddess, and Lightning was nothing next to her. She was left with no choice but to be Etro’s champion. Besides, Etro had promised her something else. While Serah would be freed from the endless dream, Lightning would be gifted with them.

 

A glimpse of the Lifestream – whatever that was, was all that Lightning needed to confirm her decision.

 

“You know what you saw,” Etro had said, simply.

 

Lightning did not reply. But she knew.

 

For the first time in what seemed like forever, she felt his presence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was...a bit boring heh. But I gotta power through the story bridging chapters before I can get to the good(?) stuff right?  
> I didn't actually play FFXIII-2 because gameplay was shit, so excuse me if the flow of my writing gets choppy, because I am impatient and just want to write some sweet sweet angst.  
> what.


	4. III

Lightning sat upon Etro’s throne, gazing upon the wreck below her.

 

Now that Etro was gone, she didn’t even know how to reach the Lifestream.

 

Placing Overture on her lap, she sighed deeply and closed her eyes. She would sleep, sleep for however long it took for time to wash everything away.

 

* * *

 

_Ah, so you too are a cursed warrior…_

_…_

_Don’t hold back…just because I share the same face as he…_

 

* * *

 

“Lightning.”

 

Lightning opened her eyes in response to the authoritative voice that addressed her.

 

_What was that…?_

 

It felt like a dream…the details were escaping her, but she could’ve sworn she saw him again, amongst a wild flurry of steel. She furrowed her brows, attempting to recall, but the more she tried, the more they slipped away from her. She sighed in defeat as she felt the last remnants of the dream fade away.

 

For now, she had other things to worry about. She was floating in a strange space, surrounded by constantly warping geometric shapes. There was no time, no sense of direction. It was as if she were in yet another dream. A dream where, the voice of god spoke to her.

 

“You have laid dormant for long enough.”

 

“Who are you?”

 

“I am Bhunivelze, the God of Light. And I am here to present you with an offer.”

 

“Your tone suggests otherwise.” Lightning knew better than to trust the words of gods.

 

“You are sharp. It is an offer you cannot refuse.”

 

His voice drips with mockery.

 

“I will return your sister to the world, but only if you agree to be my savior.”

 

“And why should I trust your mere words?”

 

“A glimpse.”

 

Lightning could almost hear Bhunivelze smirk, as the peaceful, sleeping form of Serah materialized in front of her.

 

“Serah?”

 

Serah’s eyes fluttered open. Greeted by the sight of her sister, she smiled and reached out to Lightning.

 

“Sis, is that really you?”

 

“Yes. It’s me,” Lightning extended her hand, but before she could take Serah’s hand in her own, she was gone.

 

“Serah!”

 

“So you agree.”

 

Lightning instinctively frowned. She did not want to agree, but Serah’s life was on the line. For Serah, any risk was worth taking to her.

 

“What do I have to do?”

 

“Your job is simple. Collect the souls stranded in your filthy world. I will create a perfect new world where they can be happy in. Of course, if you fail, they will be destroyed together with the old world, along with your sister.” Bhunivelze cackled.

 

Lightning cursed silently under her breath.

 

“Manners, my savior. But do not fret. I have prepared helpers to aid and motivate you.”

 

“As long as they don’t get in my way.”

 

“You will see soon enough.”

 

“Got it.”

 

“I won’t be seeing you off then, savior. Do not disappoint me.”

 

The background gradually dimmed around her, and Lightning eventually found herself once again enveloped in darkness.

 

* * *

 

“Lightning?”

 

Lightning felt the void around her melt away. The ground solidified under her feet, and the bright surroundings momentarily blinded her.

 

“Light! It’s you!”

 

Through the patches of white in her vision, she could vaguely make out a familiar silver-haired boy eagerly approaching her. Before she could react, the boy wrapped his arms around her waist, leaning in to hug her briefly.

 

“Light, I’ve been waiting for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry my writing is a great horrible incoherent mess lol.
> 
> if anyone was wondering, the small dream she had was a glimpse of events that happened in Dissidia 012. I'm considering doing some at-the-side-low-commitment Dissidia stuff, but idk. I mean, Dissidia is alrdy basically a wonderful 16-way crossover fanfiction by none other than SE themselves lmao.


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